This application requests support for (KO2) Award for Stephen A. Maisto. His overall career goal is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge about alcohol treatment through the achievement of three specific career goals: (1) to advance his progress in becoming a leader in the scientific study of outcomes and mechanisms of interventions for alcohol problems, (2) to increase his expertise in the study of new statistical methods and accompanying computer technology that are becoming important in intervention research, and (3) to continue to mentor junior colleagues. This proposal describes two currently funded projects that are part of the research plan. Project 1 has two substudies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an enhanced brief motivational intervention (BMI) for binge drinking in college students. In substudy 1, participants identified as binge drinkers are randomly assigned to receive a basic BMI, an enhanced BMI that adds a decisional balance exercise, or an assessment only control group. Substudy 2 replicates the first substudy but is done with individuals presenting to a campus substance abuse counseling program. All participants provide data on drinking and related problems at 1, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. Project 2 is designed to investigate subject reactivity to assessment protocols. Participants will be recruited from an outpatient AOD treatment service and will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions formed by the combination of frequency and Comprehensiveness of assessment. Participants will be evaluated at admission to treatment and over the course of 1 year. These and, future research projects form part of the applicant's program of research and is dedicated to the study of the effectiveness of BIs for alcohol problems and the mechanisms of their action. The applicant's career development plans and include acquiring knowledge of new developments in statistical methods, continuing mentoring of junior colleagues, and continuing the conduct of programmatic research. The K02 award would allow the applicant protected time to continue to develop his skills in and to conduct a program of research on alcohol treatment.